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Check us out Online! mayportmirror.com SERMC Sailors Awarded BronzeSoutheast Regional Maintenance Center Public AffairsNavy Diver 1st Class John T. Hanson and Navy Diver 2nd Class Robert S. Klingaman, assigned to Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC), were awarded Bronze Star Medals on June 25 in Jacksonville, Fla. The medals were awarded for meritorious service in con nection with a highly sensi tive special operation critical to the national defense of the United States while the Sailors were attached to Naval Special Warfare Group 3. I love serving my country and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experiences Ive had in the Navy. To be recognized for my small contribution is greatly appreciated, said Hanson. Commander of the Navy Regional Maintenance Command (CNRMC) Rear Adm. David J. Gale presented the awards to the Sailors. This was the first time in my career Ive had the plea sure of presenting a Bronze Star and it was a real honor to be able to present this pres tigious award to two Sailors now in the maintenance com munity and publicly acknowledge their outstanding ser vice, said Gale. Welcome Home USS Hu City, HSL-48 -Photo by MC3 Damian BergBoatswain Mate 2nd Class Crystal Pender, assigned to USS Hu City (CG 66), greets her family on the pier after a six-month deploy ment. Hu City was deployed to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. See the full story and photos in next weeks edition of The Mirror.Clinic Works Around FurloughNaval Hospital Jacksonville Public Affairs OfficerNaval Hospital Jacksonville its hospital and five branch health clinics (BHCs) in Albany, Jacksonville, Key West, Kings Bay and Mayportwill continue to support the health and well being of its patients throughout Florida and Georgia during the furlough of approximately 660 civilian employ ees. The furlough will not affect hours of operation at any location. Keeping Sailors and Marines our nations heroeshealthy and fit to fight continues to be our first priority, said Naval Hospital Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. Gayle Shaffer. Like all of Navy Medicine, we will continue to meet our operational require ments in support of our warfighters and their families at our hospital and branch health clinics across the region. Because its critical that decreased staffing caused by the furloughs not compromise the ability to provide patients with highquality care, some non-emergency, non-urgent care may be delayed or referred to the TRICARE network. Patients may also experience lon ger than usual wait times. Other cost-cutting measures already in place include limiting travel, delay ing cosmetic facility renovations and non-critical equipment pur chases, and eliminating civilian merit pay awards. Additionally, military staff will be redistributed and civilian staff furlough days will be staggered to align with patient care needs. People are our most important asset and we are extremely proud of and highly value the impor tant contributions of our civil ian workforce, Shaffer said. Its most devastating to all of our civil ian employees who are required to stay home in a non-pay status one day a week from July 8 through Sept. 21. It also affects our mili tary staff who will be redistributed throughout our facilities to opti Gburg Commits To Help Wounded USS Gettysburg Public AffairsMore than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan has left tens of thousands of Americans with wounds visible and invisible that require long-term treat ment and support. Across the nation, businesses, non-profits, and individ uals have stepped up to serve these warriors and their families as they have served this country. On June 21 at Naval Station Mayport, that support grew even stron ger. Guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburgs (CG 64) crew and their Family Readiness Group (FRG) launched a unique partnership with the Southeast regions Navy Wounded Warrior-Safe Harbor office. This is the first time a command has active ly reached out to Navy Wounded WarriorSafe Harbor here in the Jacksonville area. The program assists veter ans who have suffered a catastrophic injury or illness, said Lt. Chet Frith, who leads Navy Wounded Warrior-Safe Harbor efforts in Navy Region Southeast. Navy Wounded Warrior has recently helped fami lies recover from what could easily be a life alter ing injury or illness. The program allows the ser vice members and their families to focus on recov ery. Lt. Friths team sup ports 15 local families in the Jacksonville area and over 140 families within the southeastern region, providing non-medical care services for veterans or connecting them and their families with the ser vices that will make their recovery easier. After assembling more than 40 volunteers to assist one Sailor and his family in desperate need, the biggest message con veyed was that they were not alone, said Lt. Frith. I told him to look outside at the people who came to help and that he didnt need to worry about his family. Weve got it. Providing that same relief, support and com fort will be exactly how this partnership flour ishes. Gettysburgs crew is committed to the long-term support of Jacksonville-area vet erans. While the ship is deployed, Gettysburgs Family Readiness Group will dedicate a portion of its volunteer efforts to assist the Navy Wounded Warrior program within Jacksonville and help the families of wounded vet erans in the area. Im looking forward to the opportunity to support Sailors, veter ans and their families, said Stephanie Easley, Gettysburg FRG service team leader, We just hope to do whatever we can to assist with abso lutely anything they need us to do. Gettysburg is assigned to Commander, Carrier Strike Group 10 and the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group. -Photo by Ensign Kiley Provenzano USS Gettysburg Commanding Officer, Capt. Brad Cooper, Navy Wounded Warrior/Safe Harbor Southeastern regional Officer in Charge Lt. Chet Frith, and Family Readiness Group service team leader Stephanie Easley cut a yellow ribbon to symbolize the commitment between the crew and families of the guid ed-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg and Navy Wounded Warrior aboard the cruiser during a ceremony on June 21. -Photo courtesy of SERMCRear Adm. David J. Gale present the Bronze Star to Navy Diver 2nd Class Robert S. Klingaman and Navy Diver 1st Class John T. Hanson, assigned to Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC), on June 25.See Bronze, Page 7 See Clinic, Page 10

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2 THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 Command Chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Jerome Cayangyang Roman Catholic Mass Sunday 9 a.m. Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. Holy Day of Obligation (call chapel for schedule) Confessions: before & after mass or upon request CCD, RCIA & Adult Ed: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Baptisms 3rd Sunday of month 10:30 a.m. Catholic Youth Group 2nd & 4th Sunday 11:30 a.m-1 p.m. Protestant Worship Sunday 10:30 a.m. Sunday school 9:15 a.m. Choir: Wednesday 7 p.m. Baptism: For information contact your chaplain Womens Bible Study Wednesday 9:30 a.m. Protestant Youth Group 1st Friday Youth Quak Trip 6:30 p.m. 2nd & 4th Friday at Chapel 5-8:30 p.m. PWOC 2nd Saturday 9:30 a.m. PMOC 3rd Saturday Prayer Breakfast 9 a.m. MOPS 1st & 3rd Thursday, 9:30 a.m. For more information, call 2705212. The Mirror The Mirror The Mirror Loyalty largely regarded as positive thing. We celebrate it. We honor it. We recognize acts of loyalty. Airline companies create loyalty reward programs; credit cards offer gifts for points accrued. Even Krispy Krme will give you a free doughnut if you get enough stamps on your doughnut card. Loyalty is a good thing right? Well, yes and no. This week the media is vora ciously following the developing story of a superstar athlete being charged with murder. Questions are being asked, How can some one who has the life many of us dream of, jeopardize it? It is not an uncom mon story is it? We can all reflect other similar stories of the rich, the famous, living the out wardly idyllic lives sud denly turned upside down. In the story cur rently being played out in the media, the specula tion has led to the belief that our superstar athlete was hanging with the wrong crowd; in fact, he may never have left the wrong crowd from his hometown. Perhaps he is where he is because of misguided loyalty to indi viduals of dubious char acter. True or not, I dont know. But I do know that many a shipmate of mine has stood before the CO and his green table to answer for con duct that would not nor mally be associated with him/her. I do know that many careers of Navy Sailors have come to an end because of moments of bad judgment, poor influence, and selection of friends. Many a career has plunged in flames as a Sailor has endeavored to protect or maintain loy alty towards peers who have made poor ethical choices. More than a few Sailors have spent time in foreign brigs because they chose liberty partners poorly or failed to exercise courage and accountability under peer pressure. It may seem unfair but the truth is that society at large will judge us, right or wrong, by those we affiliate with. I have no data, (perhaps some sociological experi ment should be under taken), but I suspect those that we largely regard as life success stories were careful in the selection of people they chose to surround themselves with. They were discern ing with whom they gave their loyalty to and from whom they received loy alty. I cant speak for society at-large but I can speak from 15 years of experience as a Chaplain in the Navy. One piece of free advice for the next seaman recruit, if you want to be successful in this Navy and in this life, choose your friends very carefully. Be mindful of the sphere of influence you build around yourself and with whom you asso ciate. And most definite ly, be discerning to whom you offer your loyalty. We celebrated the birthday of one of the most remarkable nations that has ever been blessed by God on the Fourth of July. For those of us that wear the uniform as well as our civilians who serve our Armed Forces, it is appropriate for us to honor and acknowl edge the sacrifices that our brethren have made through the centuries for our country. We acknowl edge and honor pas sionate loyalty to these United States. Names like Paul Revere, George Washington, and John Paul Jones easily come to mind. But as we explore this issue of loyalty, dont forget names like Manning, Snowden and Benedict Arnold; indi viduals who undoubtedly justified their actions and believed themselves loyal to something or someone. As we engage in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, remember that to whom and what we offer our loyalty will play largely in your ability to find success. Chap Darin Dunham CHSMWL Chaplain CHAPLAINSChoose Your Friends CarefullyThis time of year gives you and your child the perfect opportunity to discuss the upcom ing school year. But as important as this con versation is, you must keep the tone light and the information focused on those areas in which theres room for improve ment. Talk casually about how he can achieve aca demic success in those areas which gave him problems this school year. Here are some ideas, along with advice from Adele Brodkin, Ph.D. (a senior child development consultant for Scholastic), on how to start the new school year with a positive attitude. Getting Started The feeling of starting a new school year could be lost on younger kids so Dr. Brodkin recommends introducing the concept of goal-setting to upper elementary-age children (say grades 3 and up). Start by talking about your own goals, she says. What are you going to do? Share them with your child and explain why you have decided to make a change. Talk about the school year and how each summer is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start, says Dr. Brodkin. The next step is asking your child if he has any ideas or suggestions for changes that he thinks need to be made to be more successful this year. You may be surprised at the motivation he dis plays, says Dr. Brodkin. Whatever his sugges tion is, let him know that you think its a worth while undertaking and that youll help him see it through. Encourage your child every step of the way. You can even ask other fam ily members to come up with their own ideas for how they are going to make changes this year in school or at work. The possibilities are endless. Your child can decide to... ...be more organized at home and at school! ...figure out how to get his homework done with out someones nagging! ...eat a healthy break fast each morning before schoo! Or just eat break fast!! ...get to bed at a reason able time each night! ...not wait to the last minute to study for a test or finish a project! ...spend more time with the family! Making a plan. Is it really hard for your child to get out of bed and then be on time to school? If so, that might be a great place to start. But this plan will have to include the night before. Setting a schedule to include time for dinner, homework, household responsibilities like doing the dishes, TV time, and bedtime. When con structing your plan, think about the morning bar riers. Do these include finding the homework, picking out that special outfit, eating breakfast? If so maybe scheduling a time and place to put the homework and to pick out the clothes will save time and aggravation in the morning. Plan B But as Captain Cochrane likes to say, Everybody knows that the Plan never sur vives first contact with the enemy, So no wor ries it is natural to have some false starts. So two suggestions: 1) practice before school starts and 2) be ready to go to that Plan B. With Plan B you know what to do when a few weeks into the new school year your child goes back to his old ways. Tell your child that fre quently plans have to be modified; it doesnt have to be all or nothing. Plan B can include these motivating ideas: Sticking with the original plan, but try, try it again. Modifying the plan and then trying it for a few weeks. Make suggestions but dont be the architect of a new plan. Instead guide and offer assistance, but avoid angry confronta tions! Making a plan can be a great learning experi-Judy Cromartie School Liaison Officer KnowingA New School Year Is Just Around The CornerA few months after birth, human babies dis cover two chubby feet affixed to the end of their tubby legs. They gaze, fas cinated at these perfect appendages topped with wiggling tiny toes. As soon as they can grasp their feet with slob bery fingers, they shove the newfound toes into their drooling mouths. Mothers find babies soft feet and dimpled toes to be irresist ible as well, often smooching or blowing raspberries on the padded soles. Fast forward 20 years later, and those formerly kissable baby tootsies have become purely func tional body parts, requir ing meticulous personal hygiene to ward off potent foot odor, locker room fungus, planter s warts, and a most foul substance known as toe jam a repulsive combination of sock fuzz and dead skin cells, bound with sweat. Ew. Recently, we moved our military family of five from Naval Station Mayport, Florida to Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. To further compli cate an already demand ing move schedule, we also decided to visit various relatives, a few friends, and a couple colleges along the way. As such, we spent an inordinate number of hours together in our mini van while traveling up the East Coast. What s that smell? I asked about a half hour into one particularly arduous leg of the trip. My keen olfactory nerves were picking up a repugnant aroma that might only be recreated by locking a jar of beet pickled eggs in the back seat of a 1974 Galaxie 500 over a long hot weekend in August. The smell grew in strength, and soon our daughters were pinching their noses shut. We pulled over to locate the source of the odor. We searched for a carton of curdled milk in the trunk. We looked for a rancid tuna sub under the seats. We opened the glove box half expecting to find a dirty diaper. We looked to see if a stowaway squir rel was decomposing under the hood. Finally, our noses guided us to the third row of seats, where our teenage son sat obliviously listening to his iPod, his huge flip-flopped feet tapping to the beat of the music. Hovering my nostrils carefully over his hairy toe knuckles, I took a big sniff. Found it! I yelled, and stumbled faintly back to Lisa Smith Molinari Military Spouse Columnist The Meat&PotatoesThe Agony Of Da Feet Of A Stinky Teenage Boythe trunk to find a fresh pair of socks and some emergency talcum powder so we would all survive the rest of the trip. But unappealing foot odor and toe jam become mere child s play a couple decades after raging teen age hormones quiet down. Forty something feet are a veritable Three Ringed Circus with cracked cal loused heels, curled thick ened nails, burgeoning bunions and their dwarfed sidekicks, bunionettes. Add a painful corn or two, and youve got a real freak show. How does one go from playing This Little Piggy with smooth perfect baby toes to the knobby hard ened feet of middle age? Let s face it: the Five Piggies are getting old. After 40 or 50 years of going to Market, The Big Toe Piggy has decided to take a detour and is now pointing in the wrong direction. The Piggies who stayed home and ate roast beef seem to be doing rel atively well in their snug sedentary routine, but the Piggy who had none has collapsed onto his side from severe starva tion. The short Piggy on the end isn t crying Wee! Wee! Wee! anymore. Apparently, years of anxi ety have caused him to curl up into a fetal position, and he is now hiding under the adjacent toe. Many forty-something folks make a vane attempt to stave off the aging of their feet, investing hun dreds of dollars annually in pedicures, toe rings, pol ish and exfoliating marvels such as The Pedi Egg, which doubles as a nifty parmesan cheese grater. Unfortunately, nature has dictated that our feet get kinda ugly no matter what we do. So during the summer sandal months, please do keep your toot sies clean and trimmed, but don t get too carried away. After all, what s the sense in putting lipstick on your Piggies? Probably not a good idea. But, we should real ize that all military moves are a gamble, and the only thing we can be certain of is that the damned micro wave cart will live to see another day. Get more wit from Lisa at her blog, The Meat and Potatoes of Life, www. themeatandpotatoesoflife. comSee SLO, Page 6

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4 THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 Mayport Families Have A BlastBy StaffNaval Station Mayport celebrat ed Independence Day early at the 2013 Freedom Fest on June 29 at Sea Gull Pavilion The Greater Mayport Chief Petty Officer Association sponsored this years event with MWR and hosted an afternoon and evening of food, fun and fire works. Rides, games and water and dry slides were available to keep the family entertained while a beach obstacle course and races were set up in the Sandbox outside of Surfside Fitness. Sponsors set up booths around the fes tivities for the adults while the kids enjoyed dancing to a DJ. Several families set up their seating on the beach to enjoy the weather and watch fireworks from a premium location. The band, Second Tyme Around, played for an hour before ush ering in the pyrotech nics at 9 p.m. -Photo by Paige GnannJoey Bishop, 9, tries to make it to the top of the climbing wall at Freedom Fest.-Photo by Paige GnannThe Warner family shows off their patriotic spirit as they settle down to listen to the band, Second Tyme Around, before the fireworks show at the 2013 Freedom Festival. -Photo by Paige GnannAS1(AW/SW) Johnny Opdenbosch and MR1 Frank Hotmer of FRCSE Det Mayport serve up some hamburgers and hotdogs to raise money for the detachments MWR fund.-Photo by Paige GnannChildren dance to the music of Second Tyme Around before the fireworks show.-Photo by Paige GnannMardi Hinz, 10, and his sister, Iman, 13, dance to a DJ while enjoying the festivities at Freedom Fest.-Photo by Paige GnannKids enjoy a game of volleyball at the Sea Gull Pavilion during Freedom Fest.

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THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 5 -Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusA young girl holds her nose as she slides down one of the water slides at the 2013 Freedom Fest.-Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusLines were long to get a turn on the bounce swing set up at this years Freedom Fest. The ride was one of the most popular with the kids. -Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusA clown paints a young boys face as a tiger as part of the activities set up at this years Freedom Fest. -Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusA worker gathers up a serving of cotton candy for a young girl. There were several carnival treats available at this years event, as well as traditional grill foods supporting base ser vice groups and command MWR funds.-Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusKids shoot it out at the Basketball hoops, one of several games set up at this years festival. -Photo by Paige GnannLance Boldman, 12, heads across the monkey bars in front of Surfside Fitness.

Everyone plays a key role in any operation and I was honored to be able to contribute my service in this one. It was a high light to have the award presented by a flag offi cer, said Klingaman. The Bronze Star Medal is the tenth highest U.S. military award in order of precedence. To merit the award, the acts or ser vices must be performed in a manner significant ly above that normally expected, and sufficient to distinguish the individual above those performing similar acts or services. From Page 1BronzeCommissaries Plan for Monday FurloughsDefense Commissary AgencyWith furlough imple mentation underway, NS Mayports commissary will close one day a week on Mondays. The closures will be for up to 11 days between July 8 and Sept. 30. Closing commissaries on Mondays would be in addition to any day stores are routinely closed. The 148 stores that routinely close on Mondays would also close the next normal day of operation. Other than the furlough day, there are no other chang es planned for store oper ation hours. The announcement comes as DeCA follows Department of Defense protocols related to the automatic federal government budget reductions, known as sequestration, which began March 1. Like most DOD activi ties, DeCA is mandated by DOD to furlough its civil service employees. Furlough notices are scheduled to be deliv ered to DeCA employees between May 28 and June 5. DeCA has 247 com missaries with more than 16,000 employees operating in 13 coun tries and two U.S. ter ritories. Furloughs will impact all of DeCAs more than 14,000 U.S. civilian employees. As sequestration con tinues, commissary cus tomers can quickly find out about any changes to their local stores oper ating schedule by going to www.commissar ies.com, clicking on the Locations tab, then Alphabetical Listing, finding their store and clicking on local store information. Patrons are reminded that because sequestra tion is so fluid, DeCAs plan for this budget-cut ting measure is subject to change. DeCA decided on Monday closures after weighing the potential disruption to patrons and suppliers of having rolling furloughs, where closure dates would differ from store to store. Universal Monday closures are less disruptive to shoppers and the agencys indus try partners -vendors, suppliers and distributors -who deliver products daily to commissaries. In January, DOD released guidance to allow defense compo nents to plan for potential budget cuts by reducing operating costs. In line with that direction, DeCA later executed the follow ing budget-cutting mea sures: A hiring freeze on all outside hires; Cancellation of the agencys September Worldwide Case Lot Sales for all commissaries. Postponement of all Guard and Reserve onsite sales scheduled after July 8 until further notice. THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 7

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Navy WWII POW Visits 4th Fleet Sailors4th Fleet Public AffairsChief Boatswain Mate (Ret.) Bill Ingram, a World War II veteran and former Prisoner of War (POW) visited and talked with Sailors from U.S. 4th Fleet June 21. Ingram enlisted in the Navy in June of 1941 at the age of 17. After com pleting boot camp, he was assigned to heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-3). Ingram requested the Houston because his older brother was a Signal Man 2nd Class on board, but after arriving to the ship, Bill found out his brother had already trans ferred to the Philippines. Shortly after Ingram arrived to the ship, Houston was operat ing in the Pacific Ocean and engaged in several battles with the Japanese Imperial Navy. On February 28th 1942 the Battle of Sundra Strait began. A Japanese amphibious task force was preparing to invade Java, in the Dutch East Indies and a task force of American, Dutch, and Australian ships, includ ing Houston were sent to intercept the Japanese force. In the early morn ing hours on March 1st, Houston was struck by three Japanese torpedoes, rolled over, with her Ensign still flying and sank. Of the 1,061 Sailors and Marines aboard the ship, 693 were lost. Three hundred sixty eight sail ors, including Ingram, abandoned the ship into the Pacific Ocean. I was laying there with a mattress over me, with all kinds of things falling on top of me. A Boatswain Mate First Class came running over saying We have to get off the ship! Ingram explained. I didnt have a life jacket, so he gave me a life ring and right before I jumped in the water he told me to swim as fast as I could away from the ship. The undertow from the ship sinking will bring you down, so I got in the water and swam as fast as I could, he said. Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, Ingrams family was poor, despite not being able to afford swimming les sons, a gym teacher from the school he attended offered him free swim ming lessons, training that very well may have saved his life that night. Despite escaping from Houston, Ingram was still far from escaping danger. After spend ing close to a day in the water, a Japanese patrol boat picked him up. After being interrogated for information and realizing that he did not know any thing, Ingram was thrown back into the ocean. Once again Ingram found himself in the water, desperate. He spent another day in the water before being picked up by a civilian fishing ves sel, which eventually took him and others from the Houston to Java. Not sure where to go, the group saw a building with a Red Cross flag on it and went there. They received food and medical attention and clothing, but during the night, a group of Japanese soldiers came, and took Ingram and his shipmates as prisoners of war. He left Java by ship to Burma, where for the next three years he and his fel low POWs spent building the Tai-Burma railroad. The Tai-Burma railroad, also known as the Death Railway was a 258 mile railway that connected Bangkok, Thailand to Burma. The railway was built by forced laborers, including over 60,000 Allied personnel. More than 16,000 of those per sonnel died as a result of the intense labor and lack of adequate food, water, and medical attention. It was very hard; I rate my survival to the way I made it through my up brining. We were poor, we did not have three meals a day, and when we did eat, beans and homemade bread was about all we had, I was use to not having much, Ingram said. Ingram was still work ing on the railroad when World War II in the Pacific was declared over, but a few weeks prior had come down with dysentery and malaria, and remembers little about leaving Burma and returning to the United States. I was really out of it; I remember being in the camp, then the next thing I really remem ber, is being in New York City with some of the other guys from the pris on camp. They told me we had left the camp in Burma, and flew back to the U.S. So I am sitting there in this bar, and the bartender starts talking to me, and I tell him I dont know how I got there and that I want to go home. I told him I was from Springfield, so he helped me get on a bus go home. Shortly after Ingram was captured, he was able to send a post card home to his parents, informing them that he was a POW but was still alive. He hadnt been able to send any correspondence in over a year, so when he arrived home, his parents had no idea what had happened to him. My parents had moved after I left and I did not know that, so when I arrived home they were gone. So eventually I found the mailman, and found their new address. I thought it would be nice to surprise them, but when I knocked on the door my mom answered and she almost had a heart attack, he recount ed. Soon after arriving home, Ingram found out for the first time that his brother that had been on Houston had been a POW as well. His brother transferred from Houston to the Philippines, where eventually he was captured on island of Corregidor. Even after the gruel ing ordeal of being a POW, Ingram decided to remain in the Navy and was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He remained in the Navy until he retired in 1961. After he retired from the Navy, Ingram moved to Jacksonville, Fla. where he lives today. One of the Chief Petty Officers jobs is to pass along Navy history and tradition to the sailors who are going to relieve us one day, Chiefs like Bill Ingram taking the time to come to our command and speak to our Sailors is a great example of passing along that tradition. Said U.S. 4th Fleet Command Master Chief David Tellez. Bill Ingram is one of only 12 survivors from USS Houston according to the National World War II Museum. -Photo by MC1 Sean AllenRear Adm. Sinclair Harris, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/ Commander U.S. 4th Fleet presents Chief Boatswain Mate (Ret.) Bill Ingram with a command coin. Ingram, a World War II Veteran and former Prisoner of War came to 4th Fleet to talk to Sailors about his experience. THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 9

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mize care delivery as well as our patients who face delays in access to nonemergency, non-urgent care and increased refer rals out to the TRICARE network. While our priority to heal our nations heroes remains unchanged and our team of civilian, mili tary and contractor staff at our hospital and branch health clinics will con tinue to work diligently to provide outstanding care to our patients, the impact of sequestration and work lost due to civil ian furloughs will be felt. We ask for understanding during this difficult time that were all in together, Shaffer expressed. For all non-emer gency needs patients should continue to the Appointment Line: Bay or BHC Mayport: Call (904) 542-4677 or (800) 529-4677, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Patients with a referral from their PCM to a specialty clinic at the hospital, call week days from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. BHC Albany: Call (229) 639-7884/7886, weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. BHC Jacksonville: Call (904) 546-7094/7095, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. BHC Key West: Call (305) 2934834/4850/4851, week days from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For all locations, afterhours nurse advice remains available on evenings, weekends and holidays via its command Appointment Line at (800) 529-4677. Naval Branch Health Clinic (NBHC) Mayport is one of Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonvilles six health care facilities located across Florida and Georgia. Of NH Jacksonvilles patient pop ulationabout 163,000 active and retired sail ors, soldiers, Marines, airmen, guardsmen and their familiesmore than 57,000 are enrolled with a primary care manag er at one of its facilities. To find out more about NBHC Mayport, visit the command website at www.med.navy.mil/sites/ NavalHospitalJax .From Page 1ClinicHu City Officer Shares Legacy of Service USS Hu City Public AffairsThe warrior spirit is a trait the Navy tries to instill in its Sailors from the day they join the ser vice. For one USS Hu City Officer inculcation with the warrior spirit came easy. With a fam ily legacy of service to the Nation, she was born into it. Ensign Devan Gurecki joined the Golden Dragon crew of USS Hu City shortly after graduating from Officer Candidate School in October 2011. On board Hu City, she quickly qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer, a challenging and notewor thy milestone. A prod uct of a family who has dedicated years to service, Gurecki has learned the true meaning of commit ment and dedication from her familys rich, military history. Both of Ensign Gureckis grandfathers served in the military in hopes of giving back to their country in some small way. Her mater nal grandfather, Kenneth Myron VanPatten, was denied enlistment from the Navy due to a shotgun injury that he received when he was 16. The Army, however, wel comed him with open arms in March of 1946. After completing airborne training, he was sent to Sendai, Japan and was assigned to the mainte nance division where he packed and maintained parachutes. Serving during the time of the Occupational Forces, he is considered a World War II veteran. He left the Army in 1947 and was award ed the Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal and the Occupational and Good Conduct Medal for his service. Her other grandfa ther, Virgil Pete Gurecki joined the Navy in 1942 and served until 1945. A Gunners Mate (E-5), he served on four different ships throughout his time in the Navy. He was part of the North Africa inva sion, the Sicily Invasion, and D-Day landings on Omaha beach to name a few. He was an eyewit ness to many attacks on US ships and unfortu nately, lost numerous friends during the war. He earned the Pacific Campaign medal and Good Conduct Medal. Ensign Gureckis grow ing appreciation for ser vice did not stop with her grandfathers. Growing up, she remembers lis tening to her fathers sto ries about the city of Hu and his experiences as a Marine in the heat of battle. And it seems as if his past would play a role in her future as she made the decision to become a part of the US Navy. Originally scheduled to be a part of the wardroom on the USS Philippine Sea, Ensign Gurecki was reas signed to the USS Hu City a week before she graduated from OCS. She knew the change in her orders would immediately impact her father and she was right. Upon telling her father that she would be reporting to Hu City instead of the Philippine Sea he stated he knew it was meant to be and later added he didnt believe in coincidences. Ensign Gureckis father, Mike Gurecki, joined the Marines after high school and became a mem ber of 1st battalion 5th marines with a military occupational specialty in heavy machine guns. His decision to enlist in the Marines as a young man forever changed his life and the lives of those around him. He was immediately sent to Vietnam upon fin ishing school, resulting in life experiences that would mold him into the man he would become. Dropped in the middle of one of the most physically and emotionally demand ing battles he was in for an experience of his life. Mr. Gurecki often reflects on his time as a Marine stating, the older I get the more I wonder how I made it out of their alive. As a Marine during one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War, Mr. Gurecki can provide many insights to better under standing the sacrifices made by the Americans and Vietnamese who fought and died there. The city of Hu is locat ed in central Vietnam and was the location of one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War. Fewer than 2,500 men attacked and achieved victory over 10,000 enemy troops, liberating Hu from South Vietnam. The Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese launched an assault on South Vietnam, a battle lasting four weeks. Naval ship fire support played a large role in the success and recapture of Hu. Mr. Gurecki remem bers gear that wouldnt always work, but NSFS was one of those things that just always worked. It inspired a degree of confidence in the Marines on the ground to continue the fight each day. During the battle, Mr. Gurecki was typically assigned as the guy who drove the mule with mounted .50 caliber guns on it. The mule was basically a four foot wide aluminum plat form with .50 cals set on a tripod on the platform and sandbags thrown on to secure it. He would walk or crawl behind it and steer it down the nar row streets of the French built city of Hu. Like many things in the Navy it was not used as designed and was instead a weap on conjured up to help defend themselves in the small fire fights they encountered. Through determination and an unmatched drive the Marines at Hu achieved victory even against the odds stacked against them. Unique in that it is the only ship in the fleet named for a Vietnam battle, Hu City bears its name proudly, recog nizing all the Sailors and Marines who valiantly gave their lives fighting in Vietnam in January of 1968. For most of these men their parents are long gone, their brothers and sisters who mourned their loss have long since moved on with their lives, and for friends of their youth, they are distant fading memories, states Mike Gurecki. He con tinues, Hu City is the last place on Earth where their memory lives on. Hu City is named for the men who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy. Hu City and its crew do its best to keep their memory alive with regular memorials held onboard for its veterans. In fact, Hu City expects to orga nize another memo rial relatively soon. The Memorial Ceremony celebrates the victory US Marines helped deliv er in driving the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong from the city of Hu during the 1968 Tet Offensive. The US Navy has under gone many changes throughout the years, but is members have stayed true to the course of ser vice and dedication to the people of this fine nation. The fighting spirit of those Marines and Sailors who fought in the Battle of Hu is alive and strong in Hu Citys crew today. As a part of the Hu City crew, Ensign Gurecki is reminded of the rich his tory that is her past and the dedication and devo tion to a country that has done so much for its people that is a part of her future. It is not just a means to an end; it is keeping a long lineage of service intact. For those whose families grew up in the service there will always be a deeper mean ing and a greater sense of pride when putting on the uniform and with Ensign Gurecki it is no different. Hu City sails onward, forever remembering the example those Sailors and Marines set in January of 1968. Hu City is sail ing alongside Dwight D. Eisenhower on their transit home after their second deployment to the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime secu rity operations and the ater security cooperation efforts. 10 THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013

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USS Hu City Takes Tigers On CruiseUSS Hu City Public AffairsGuided-missile cruiser USS Hu City (CG 66) began its end-of-deploy ment tiger cruise after arriving in Norfolk, Va. on July 1. A tiger cruise allows a Sailors friends and loved ones to go to sea and experience a day in the life of a U.S. Navy Sailor. Arriving at Naval Station Norfolk before transit ing to her homeport of Mayport, Hu City wel comed 85 guests, all eager to be reunited with their Sailor. Family and friends learn to appreciate what their Sailor does in their day-to-day routine and how it contributes to the greater mission of the Navy, said Senior Chief Operations Specialist Timothy Mollock, one of the coordinators of the tiger cruise. Upon arrival to Hu City, each tiger received a Surface Warfare Specialist personnel qualification standard to work on while underway, and a schedule of events for the two-day cruise. It took a lot of planning for the event to become a reality. After canvassing the crew and determining that they would enjoy inviting a tiger, we quickly began working on getting permission from the Navy to have a tiger cruise, said Mollock. We also organized travel arrangements for all the tigers, includ ing a chartered bus from Mayport to Norfolk and providing transportation for tigers arriving by air plane and personal vehi cles. Activities over the next two days will include an air power demo with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), a frocking cer emony for newly selected senior chief petty officers, a steel-beach picnic on the ships flight deck, and two ice cream socials. Im excited for my dad to be here with me, said Fire Controlman 2nd Class John Dempsey. He used to be in the Navy and I would like to show him how much things have changed since he was in. Itll also give us a chance to bond and catch up after being away for so long. Hu City is transiting to her homeport of Mayport after operating in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime secu rity operations and the ater security cooperation efforts. -Photo by MC2 Matthew R. ColeCapt. Daniel B. Uhls, commanding officer of the guid ed-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66), greets family and friends of the crew on the mess decks during a Tiger Cruise.Hue City is transiting to her homeport of Mayport, Fla., after operating in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime security operations and theater security coop eration efforts. THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 11

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NS Mayport Reports On 2012 Water QualityFrom PWD MayportThe Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast, Public Works Department, NS Mayport, Florida (PWD Mayport), is your water utility ser vice provider. We are very pleased to pro vide you with this years Annual Water Quality Report. We want to keep you informed about the excellent water and ser vices we have delivered to you over the past year. Our goal is and has always been, to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. Our water source is three deep wells which draw from the Floridan Aquifer. Treatment of your water supply includes aeration for odor control, and dis infection through chlo rination. In 2012, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) performed a Source Water Assessment on our system. This assessment was conduct ed to provide informa tion about any potential sources of contamination in the vicinity of our wells. There are nine potential sources of contamination identified for this sys tem with low to moder ate susceptibility levels. The assessment results are available on the FDEP Source Water Assessment and Protection Program website at www.dep. state.fl.us/swapp. NAVFAC Southeast, PWD Mayport, rou tinely monitors for con taminants in your drink ing water according to Federal and State laws and regulations. Except where indicated other wise, this report is based on the results of our monitoring for the period January 1st to December 31st 2012. Data obtained before January 1, 2012, and presented in this report, are from the most recent testing done in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations. In the table below you may find unfamiliar terms and abbreviations. To help you better under stand these terms we have provided the following definitions: Action Level (AL) the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treat ment or other require ments which a water sys tem must follow. Maximum Contaminant Level The Maximum Allowed (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal The Goal (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. Maximum Residual Disinfection Level (MRDL) The high est level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is a convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) The level of a drinking water disinfec tant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. Not Applicable (N/A) No value limit or restric tion has been applied to this particular parameter. Non-Detects (ND) indicates that the sub stance was not found by laboratory analysis. Parts per billion (ppb) one part per billion cor responds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000. Parts per million (ppm) one part per mil lion corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000. Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water. The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water trav els over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves natu rally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radio active material, and can pick up substances result ing from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. (B) Inorganic con taminants such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater dis charges, oil and gas pro duction, mining, or farm ing. (C) Pesticides and her bicides which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses. (D) Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of indus trial processes and petro leum production, and can also come from gas sta tions, urban stormwater runoff, and septic sys tems. (E ) Radioactive con taminants which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young chil dren. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and compo nents associated with service lines and home plumbing. NAVFAC Southeast, PWD Mayport, is responsible for provid ing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing compo nents. When your water has been sitting for sev eral hours, you can mini mize the potential for lead exposure by flush ing your tap for 30 sec onds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water test ed. Information on lead in drinking water, test ing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www. epa.gov/safewater/lead. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regula tions which limit the amount of certain con taminants in water pro vided by public water systems. FDA regula tions establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indi cate that the water poses a health risk. More infor mation about contami nants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agencys Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improve ments that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements are some times reflected as rate structure adjustments. Thank you for under standing. For further information or questions concerning this report, please con tact your PWD Mayport Utilities Branch, at (904) 270-3182. Additionally, Navy personnel who live off-base, or in private resi dences, can also contact PWD Mayport for general questions on water qual ity, or to determine who to contact for information on the water utility servic ing your area. Some people may be more vulnerable to con taminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing che motherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disor ders, some elderly, and infants can be particular ly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infec tion by cryptosporidium and other microbio logical contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). TEST RESULTS TABLE NAVSTA MAYPORTInorganic Contaminants MCLG 0.061 N/A MCLG or MRDLG MCL or MRDL Lead and Copper (Tap Water) Likely Source of Contamination 12 THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013

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THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 13 FFSC Classes Give Tools To Help SailorsFrom FFSCThe following class es and activities are offered by the Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) and are free of charge. Pre-registration is required and childcare is not available. For more information about the classes or to register call 270-6600, ext. 1701. FFSC is located in Building One on Massey. July 11, 10-11 a.m., Healthy You, Healthy Family FFSC Building 1, Room 607 July 15-19, 7:30 a.m.4 p.m., Command Financial Specialist Training, FFSC Building 1, Room 1616 July 16, 9-11 a.m., Active Parenting Ages 13-19 FFSC Building 1, Room 607 The program is based on Dr. Michael Popkin, PH.D ACTIVE PARENTING NOW 6 classes. This program is designed to assist you and your family put into practice the skills learned in the class. Specific par enting skills that are dis cussed as well as some of the challenges that are faced by all families include understanding yourself and your child, the four goals of misbe havior, building courage and character in your child, andencourag ing and listening to your child. Each week a differ ent topic is thoroughly covered via discussion, video vignettes, and handbook information. Participation in all 6 sessions is required. July 17, 9 a.m.-noon, Resume Writing Workshop Building 1 Room 719 This workshop is for those who are develop ing a rough resume and for those who are close to the perfecting theirs. We will work in a small group format to review and provide input on par ticipants resumes. This unique learning method helps participants real ize that we can all be experts and that we can get great input from our peers. FFSC Staff will par ticipate and provide input on individual resumes. A completed rough resume will be required. July 22, 10 a.m.-noon, Active Parenting Ages 5-12 FFSC Building 1, Room 607 The program is based on Dr. Michael Popkin, PH.D ACTIVE PARENTING NOW 6 classes. This program is designed to assist you and your family put into practice the skills learned in the class. Specific par enting skills that are dis cussed as well as some of the challenges that are faced by all families include understanding yourself and your child, the four goals of misbe havior, building courage and character in your child, andencourag ing and listening to your child. Each week a differ ent topic is thoroughly covered via discussion, video vignettes, and handbook information. Participation in all 6 sessions is required. July 22-26, 7:30 a.m.4:30 p.m., Transition GPS Separatee Workshop FFSC Building 1, Room 1616 July 23, 9-11 a.m., Active Parenting Ages 13-19 FFSC Building 1, Room 607 The program is based on Dr. Michael Popkin, PH.D ACTIVE PARENTING NOW 6 classes. This program is designed to assist you and your family put into practice the skills learned in the class. Specific par enting skills that are dis cussed as well as some of the challenges that are faced by all families include understanding yourself and your child, the four goals of misbe havior, building courage and character in your child, andencourag ing and listening to your child. Each week a differ ent topic is thoroughly covered via discussion, video vignettes, and handbook information. Participation in all 6 sessions is required. July 24, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Home Buying, FFSC Building 1, Room 702 July 24, 9 a.m.-noon, Resume Writing Workshop Building 1 Room 719 This workshop is for those who are developing a rough resume and for those who are close to the perfecting theirs. We will work in a small group format to review and pro vide input on participants resumes. This unique learning method helps participants realize that we can all be experts and that we can get great input from our peers. FFSC Staff will participate and provide input on individ ual resumes. July 25, 8 a.m.-noon, FAP Key Personnel Training Building 1, Room 1124 July 29, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Anger Management Workshop, FFSC Building 1, Room 702 What does anger do for you? Communicate for you? Keep people at a safe distance from you? Keep you in charge? For many people, anger serves them many uses, but all too often, it is at a high costusually of rela tionships, unhappiness in the workplace, and a general feeling of dis dain. If you want to be able to break out of the get angry/get even syn drome, come to this class. Participants learn how anger and judgment are related, about irrational beliefs and faulty self-talk, and the roles of stress and forgiveness in anger.Friday, July 12 The Ladies Auxillary Unit#290 will hold a ham dinner from 5-8 p.m. at the branch home, 390 Mayport Road in Atlantic Beach. Donations are $8. Take out orders are welcome. The dinner is open to the public. For more information, call 246-6855. Saturday, July 13 Join a park ranger at 2 p.m. at the Talbot Discovery Table at the end of the boardwalk and learn interesting facts about Talbot Islands State Parks. Test your knowledge to see how much you know! The program will take place at the end of Boardwalk #1 located at the north beach area on Little Talbot Island. No reservations are neces sary and the program is free with regular park admission. July 15-18 Vacation Bible School at Ft Caroline United Methodist Church, 8510 Ft. Caroline Rd., Jacksonville 32277. Free dinner nightly at 6 p.m.; VBS from 6:30 9:10 p.m. Free movie night Up in the Air Friday, July 19. VBS Celebration Service at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 21. Friday, July 19 Tree Hill Nature Center is holding a ribbon cutting and grand opening cere mony for the new Joseph A. Strasser Boardwalk Trail at 10 a.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, and admission will be free for the day. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens continues movie nights in the Gardens this summer featuring clas sic car movies to compli ment the current exhibi tion, Future Retro: The Great Age of the American Automobile at 7:30 p.m.. The series continues with Cars in July, followed by American Graffiti in August. Guests are encouraged to bring a blan ket or lawn chairs. TreeCup Caf will have delicious treats along with beer and wine for purchase, but you are welcome to pack a pic nic. After claiming your spot in the Gardens, venture inside the Museum and view the classic cars on display as part of the current exhibi tion. Members $6 per person and Non-members $10 per person. For more informa tion or to register, please call (904) 899-6038 or visit www. cummer.org/movie-nightcummer.Out in Town COMMUNITYCALENDAR Jack Daniels/USO Toast To The Troops Country music star and Army Veteran Craig Morgan will be performing a FREE concert brought to you by Jack Daniels and the USO at the Jacksonville Landing on Thursday, July 11 at 7 p.m. This is a free event and no tickets are required. For more information, please call (904) 353-1188. And if youre looking for a chance to give back to the troops, join Jack Daniels and the USO in a care pack age stuffing event before the concert. To volunteer for the care package event, please email lquinn@usojax.com. Military Vendor Charity Event Come out to Fleet Reserve #91 on Collins Road on July 13 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and see what the vendors have to offer. Each vendor has donated baskets of items to be raffled off. Money raised from the raffles will support the Greater Jacksonville Area USO. There will be fac ing painting and a cupcake stand, so bring the kids and enjoy a day at FRA #91. $15 Jaguars Tickets Sale Dates Your Greater Jacksonville USO will once again be selling tickets to the Jacksonville Jaguars home games. Tickets will be $15 each. Keep an eye on the blast in the coming weeks for the ticket sale dates. Military Appreciation Night At The Jax Zoo Military Appreciation Night at the Jacksonville Zoo has been rescheduled to July 26from 6-9 p.m. If you missed your chance to get wristbands, the NAS JAX and MAYPORT USO centers and the Kings Bay ITT office will have some additional wristbands available for purchase. Wristbands are $2.50 each/ cash only and are open to Active Duty, Retirees, Reservists, National Guard, dependents, Veterans with ID card, and DOD civilians. Jacksonville Suns 2013 Baseball Season Once again, the Jacksonville Suns AA Baseball Organization (Florida Marlins Affiliate) has teamed with your Greater Jacksonville Area USO for the 2013 sea son. July 30th, August and September dates are still available. Military Spouse Vendor Show Come out to the Mayport USO on Aug. 3 and check out a variety of vendors and support your local military spouses and their small businesses. There will be $1 raffles drawn every half hour and food available for purchase from the USO. Check out all the fabulous items avail able. For more information, contact mil wivesbusinessesandevents@gmail.com. Military Spouse COMPASS Program COMPASS is a spouse-to-spouse mentoring program that introduces partici pants to all aspects of the military life style. COMPASS offers military spouses the opportunity to establish a peer net work, acquire knowledge and develop skills necessary to successfully meet future challenges of military life. Please come join us! Well be sure to make you smile, help you meet other spous es, provide you with YUMMY Dinners, and even reimburse you for babysitting fees** (please inquire with a Compass Mentor for more info). Registration IS REQUIRED! Please visit www.gocom pass.org to find a Session near you. Deweys Spring Concert Series Friday Nights At NAS Jacksonville Enjoy freelive music every Friday night at 7 p.m. at the outside stage at Deweys. Bring your own blankets and chairs and enjoy a night out with the family. No outside food or drinks allowed. For more information, call (904) 542-3900. Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen Free At The USO Protect your skin this summer. Stop by the NAS Jax and Mayport USO centers for your free bag of Hawaiian Tropic sun screen and after sun products. Supporting Americas Heroes The American Red Cross is expand ing services to provide assistance and resources to veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to help support their transi tion into civilian life. Emergency needs that may warrant assistance may include medical and dental needs, rent assis tance, utility payments, and food; access to referral services; or other assistance depending on need. Applicants for these funds must demonstrate financial hardship, and/or lack of other available resources due to participation in OEF or OIF. Eligible veterans include those of all services, the Reserve component and National Guard. For more information, please contact a Red Cross Military Services caseworker at (904) 246-1395 Recycling Recycling has come to the Greater Jacksonville Area USO. If you have any office paper, shredded paper, old maga zines, and newspapers that you would like to donate, please bring it to either the Mayport or NAS JAX USO Center. This will be a great fundraiser for the USO so please help us fill the bins. Help support the troops with your unwanted paper! United Through Reading program makes it possible to share in the enjoy ment of reading to the children in your life, even while thousands of miles apart. The Mayport Center and NAS Center can record you reading a book to your children and send it to them after you have gone on deployment. It is a great way to make them smile on their special day even when you can not be there with them. Please contact your local USO center for more information. There is a computer resource center available to all service members with email, Internet and word processing. Fax, copy and free notary service is also available. Watch TV or a movie from the video library. Service members can also enjoy video games or use the sports equip ment. There is a full kitchen, showers, a quiet reading room and a meeting room available at the USO. The USO is avail able for meetings, support groups, receptions, parties and pre-deployment briefs. A TV, VCR and overhead projector are available for use. For more information about activities or meeting availabilities, call 246-3481 or stop by the center at 2560 Mayport Road. USO

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Check us out Online! mayportmirror.com SERMC Sailors Awarded BronzeSoutheast Regional Maintenance Center Public AffairsNavy Diver 1st Class John T. Hanson and Navy Diver 2nd Class Robert S. Klingaman, assigned to Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC), were awarded Bronze Star Medals on June 25 in Jacksonville, Fla. The medals were awarded for meritorious service in connection with a highly sensi tive special operation critical to the national defense of the United States while the Sailors were attached to Naval Special Warfare Group 3. I love serving my country and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experiences Ive had in the Navy. To be recognized for my small contribution is greatly appreciated, said Hanson. Commander of the Navy Regional Maintenance Command (CNRMC) Rear Adm. David J. Gale presented the awards to the Sailors. This was the first time in my career Ive had the plea sure of presenting a Bronze Star and it was a real honor to be able to present this pres tigious award to two Sailors now in the maintenance community and publicly acknowledge their outstanding ser vice, said Gale. Welcome Home USS Hu City, HSL-48 -Photo by MC3 Damian BergBoatswain Mate 2nd Class Crystal Pender, assigned to USS Hu City (CG 66), greets her family on the pier after a six-month deployment. Hu City was deployed to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. See the full story and photos in next weeks edition of The Mirror.Clinic Works Around FurloughNaval Hospital Jacksonville Public Affairs OfficerNaval Hospital Jacksonville its hospital and five branch health clinics (BHCs) in Albany, Jacksonville, Key West, Kings Bay and Mayportwill continue to support the health and well being of its patients throughout Florida and Georgia during the furlough of approximately 660 civilian employees. The furlough will not affect hours of operation at any location. Keeping Sailors and Marines our nations heroeshealthy and fit to fight continues to be our first priority, said Naval Hospital Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. Gayle Shaffer. Like all of Navy Medicine, we will continue to meet our operational require ments in support of our warfighters and their families at our hospital and branch health clinics across the region. Because its critical that decreased staffing caused by the furloughs not compromise the ability to provide patients with highquality care, some non-emergency, non-urgent care may be delayed or referred to the TRICARE network. Patients may also experience lon ger than usual wait times. Other cost-cutting measures already in place include limiting travel, delaying cosmetic facility renovations and non-critical equipment pur chases, and eliminating civilian merit pay awards. Additionally, military staff will be redistributed and civilian staff furlough days will be staggered to align with patient care needs. People are our most important asset and we are extremely proud of and highly value the impor tant contributions of our civil ian workforce, Shaffer said. Its most devastating to all of our civilian employees who are required to stay home in a non-pay status one day a week from July 8 through Sept. 21. It also affects our mili tary staff who will be redistributed throughout our facilities to opti Gburg Commits To Help Wounded USS Gettysburg Public AffairsMore than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan has left tens of thousands of Americans with wounds visible and invisible that require long-term treat ment and support. Across the nation, businesses, non-profits, and individ uals have stepped up to serve these warriors and their families as they have served this country. On June 21 at Naval Station Mayport, that support grew even stron ger. Guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburgs (CG 64) crew and their Family Readiness Group (FRG) launched a unique partnership with the Southeast regions Navy Wounded Warrior-Safe Harbor office. This is the first time a command has active ly reached out to Navy Wounded WarriorSafe Harbor here in the Jacksonville area. The program assists veter ans who have suffered a catastrophic injury or illness, said Lt. Chet Frith, who leads Navy Wounded Warrior-Safe Harbor efforts in Navy Region Southeast. Navy Wounded Warrior has recently helped fami lies recover from what could easily be a life altering injury or illness. The program allows the ser vice members and their families to focus on recovery. Lt. Friths team sup ports 15 local families in the Jacksonville area and over 140 families within the southeastern region, providing non-medical care services for veterans or connecting them and their families with the services that will make their recovery easier. After assembling more than 40 volunteers to assist one Sailor and his family in desperate need, the biggest message con veyed was that they were not alone, said Lt. Frith. I told him to look outside at the people who came to help and that he didnt need to worry about his family. Weve got it. Providing that same relief, support and com fort will be exactly how this partnership flour ishes. Gettysburgs crew is committed to the long-term support of Jacksonville-area vet erans. While the ship is deployed, Gettysburgs Family Readiness Group will dedicate a portion of its volunteer efforts to assist the Navy Wounded Warrior program within Jacksonville and help the families of wounded vet erans in the area. Im looking forward to the opportunity to support Sailors, veter ans and their families, said Stephanie Easley, Gettysburg FRG service team leader, We just hope to do whatever we can to assist with abso lutely anything they need us to do. Gettysburg is assigned to Commander, Carrier Strike Group 10 and the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group. -Photo by Ensign Kiley Provenzano USS Gettysburg Commanding Officer, Capt. Brad Cooper, Navy Wounded Warrior/Safe Harbor Southeastern regional Officer in Charge Lt. Chet Frith, and Family Readiness Group service team leader Stephanie Easley cut a yellow ribbon to symbolize the commitment between the crew and families of the guid ed-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg and Navy Wounded Warrior aboard the cruiser during a ceremony on June 21. -Photo courtesy of SERMCRear Adm. David J. Gale present the Bronze Star to Navy Diver 2nd Class Robert S. Klingaman and Navy Diver 1st Class John T. Hanson, assigned to Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC), on June 25.See Bronze, Page 7 See Clinic, Page 10

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2 THE MIRROR, NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 Command Chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Jerome Cayangyang Roman Catholic Mass Sunday 9 a.m. Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. Holy Day of Obligation (call chapel for schedule) Confessions: before & after mass or upon request CCD, RCIA & Adult Ed: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Baptisms 3rd Sunday of month 10:30 a.m. Catholic Youth Group 2nd & 4th Sunday 11:30 a.m-1 p.m. Protestant Worship Sunday 10:30 a.m. Sunday school 9:15 a.m. Choir: Wednesday 7 p.m. Baptism: For information contact your chaplain Womens Bible Study Wednesday 9:30 a.m. Protestant Youth Group 1st Friday Youth Quak Trip 6:30 p.m. 2nd & 4th Friday at Chapel 5-8:30 p.m. PWOC 2nd Saturday 9:30 a.m. PMOC 3rd Saturday Prayer Breakfast 9 a.m. MOPS 1st & 3rd Thursday, 9:30 a.m. For more information, call 2705212. The Mirror The Mirror The Mirror Loyalty largely regarded as positive thing. We celebrate it. We honor it. We recognize acts of loyalty. Airline companies create loyalty reward programs; credit cards offer gifts for points accrued. Even Krispy Krme will give you a free doughnut if you get enough stamps on your doughnut card. Loyalty is a good thing right? Well, yes and no. This week the media is vora ciously following the developing story of a superstar athlete being charged with murder. Questions are being asked, How can some one who has the life many of us dream of, jeopardize it? It is not an uncom mon story is it? We can all reflect other similar stories of the rich, the famous, living the out wardly idyllic lives sud denly turned upside down. In the story cur rently being played out in the media, the specula tion has led to the belief that our superstar athlete was hanging with the wrong crowd; in fact, he may never have left the wrong crowd from his hometown. Perhaps he is where he is because of misguided loyalty to individuals of dubious char acter. True or not, I dont know. But I do know that many a shipmate of mine has stood before the CO and his green table to answer for con duct that would not nor mally be associated with him/her. I do know that many careers of Navy Sailors have come to an end because of moments of bad judgment, poor influence, and selection of friends. Many a career has plunged in flames as a Sailor has endeavored to protect or maintain loyalty towards peers who have made poor ethical choices. More than a few Sailors have spent time in foreign brigs because they chose liberty partners poorly or failed to exercise courage and accountability under peer pressure. It may seem unfair but the truth is that society at large will judge us, right or wrong, by those we affiliate with. I have no data, (perhaps some sociological experi ment should be under taken), but I suspect those that we largely regard as life success stories were careful in the selection of people they chose to surround themselves with. They were discern ing with whom they gave their loyalty to and from whom they received loy alty. I cant speak for society at-large but I can speak from 15 years of experience as a Chaplain in the Navy. One piece of free advice for the next seaman recruit, if you want to be successful in this Navy and in this life, choose your friends very carefully. Be mindful of the sphere of influence you build around yourself and with whom you associate. And most definite ly, be discerning to whom you offer your loyalty. We celebrated the birthday of one of the most remarkable nations that has ever been blessed by God on the Fourth of July. For those of us that wear the uniform as well as our civilians who serve our Armed Forces, it is appropriate for us to honor and acknowl edge the sacrifices that our brethren have made through the centuries for our country. We acknowledge and honor pas sionate loyalty to these United States. Names like Paul Revere, George Washington, and John Paul Jones easily come to mind. But as we explore this issue of loyalty, dont forget names like Manning, Snowden and Benedict Arnold; indi viduals who undoubtedly justified their actions and believed themselves loyal to something or someone. As we engage in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, remember that to whom and what we offer our loyalty will play largely in your ability to find success. Chap Darin Dunham CHSMWL Chaplain CHAPLAINSChoose Your Friends CarefullyThis time of year gives you and your child the perfect opportunity to discuss the upcom ing school year. But as important as this con versation is, you must keep the tone light and the information focused on those areas in which theres room for improve ment. Talk casually about how he can achieve aca demic success in those areas which gave him problems this school year. Here are some ideas, along with advice from Adele Brodkin, Ph.D. (a senior child development consultant for Scholastic), on how to start the new school year with a positive attitude. Getting Started The feeling of starting a new school year could be lost on younger kids so Dr. Brodkin recommends introducing the concept of goal-setting to upper elementary-age children (say grades 3 and up). Start by talking about your own goals, she says. What are you going to do? Share them with your child and explain why you have decided to make a change. Talk about the school year and how each summer is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start, says Dr. Brodkin. The next step is asking your child if he has any ideas or suggestions for changes that he thinks need to be made to be more successful this year. You may be surprised at the motivation he dis plays, says Dr. Brodkin. Whatever his sugges tion is, let him know that you think its a worth while undertaking and that youll help him see it through. Encourage your child every step of the way. You can even ask other fam ily members to come up with their own ideas for how they are going to make changes this year in school or at work. The possibilities are endless. Your child can decide to... ...be more organized at home and at school! ...figure out how to get his homework done without someones nagging! ...eat a healthy break fast each morning before schoo! Or just eat break fast!! ...get to bed at a reasonable time each night! ...not wait to the last minute to study for a test or finish a project! ...spend more time with the family! Making a plan. Is it really hard for your child to get out of bed and then be on time to school? If so, that might be a great place to start. But this plan will have to include the night before. Setting a schedule to include time for dinner, homework, household responsibilities like doing the dishes, TV time, and bedtime. When constructing your plan, think about the morning bar riers. Do these include finding the homework, picking out that special outfit, eating breakfast? If so maybe scheduling a time and place to put the homework and to pick out the clothes will save time and aggravation in the morning. Plan B But as Captain Cochrane likes to say, Everybody knows that the Plan never sur vives first contact with the enemy, So no wor ries it is natural to have some false starts. So two suggestions: 1) practice before school starts and 2) be ready to go to that Plan B. With Plan B you know what to do when a few weeks into the new school year your child goes back to his old ways. Tell your child that fre quently plans have to be modified; it doesnt have to be all or nothing. Plan B can include these motivating ideas: Sticking with the original plan, but try, try it again. Modifying the plan and then trying it for a few weeks. Make suggestions but dont be the architect of a new plan. Instead guide and offer assistance, but avoid angry confronta tions! Making a plan can be a great learning experi-Judy Cromartie School Liaison Officer KnowingA New School Year Is Just Around The CornerA few months after birth, human babies dis cover two chubby feet affixed to the end of their tubby legs. They gaze, fascinated at these perfect appendages topped with wiggling tiny toes. As soon as they can grasp their feet with slob bery fingers, they shove the newfound toes into their drooling mouths. Mothers find babies soft feet and dimpled toes to be irresistible as well, often smooching or blowing raspberries on the padded soles. Fast forward 20 years later, and those formerly kissable baby tootsies have become purely func tional body parts, requir ing meticulous personal hygiene to ward off potent foot odor, locker room fungus, planter s warts, and a most foul substance known as toe jam a repulsive combination of sock fuzz and dead skin cells, bound with sweat. Ew. Recently, we moved our military family of five from Naval Station Mayport, Florida to Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. To further compli cate an already demand ing move schedule, we also decided to visit various relatives, a few friends, and a couple colleges along the way. As such, we spent an inordinate number of hours together in our minivan while traveling up the East Coast. What s that smell? I asked about a half hour into one particularly arduous leg of the trip. My keen olfactory nerves were picking up a repugnant aroma that might only be recreated by locking a jar of beet pickled eggs in the back seat of a 1974 Galaxie 500 over a long hot weekend in August. The smell grew in strength, and soon our daughters were pinching their noses shut. We pulled over to locate the source of the odor. We searched for a carton of curdled milk in the trunk. We looked for a rancid tuna sub under the seats. We opened the glove box half expecting to find a dirty diaper. We looked to see if a stowaway squirrel was decomposing under the hood. Finally, our noses guided us to the third row of seats, where our teenage son sat obliviously listening to his iPod, his huge flip-flopped feet tapping to the beat of the music. Hovering my nostrils carefully over his hairy toe knuckles, I took a big sniff. Found it! I yelled, and stumbled faintly back to Lisa Smith Molinari Military Spouse Columnist The Meat&PotatoesThe Agony Of Da Feet Of A Stinky Teenage Boythe trunk to find a fresh pair of socks and some emergency talcum powder so we would all survive the rest of the trip. But unappealing foot odor and toe jam become mere child s play a couple decades after raging teen age hormones quiet down. Forty something feet are a veritable Three Ringed Circus with cracked cal loused heels, curled thick ened nails, burgeoning bunions and their dwarfed sidekicks, bunionettes. Add a painful corn or two, and youve got a real freak show. How does one go from playing This Little Piggy with smooth perfect baby toes to the knobby hard ened feet of middle age? Let s face it: the Five Piggies are getting old. After 40 or 50 years of going to Market, The Big Toe Piggy has decided to take a detour and is now pointing in the wrong direction. The Piggies who stayed home and ate roast beef seem to be doing rel atively well in their snug sedentary routine, but the Piggy who had none has collapsed onto his side from severe starva tion. The short Piggy on the end isn t crying Wee! Wee! Wee! anymore. Apparently, years of anxi ety have caused him to curl up into a fetal position, and he is now hiding under the adjacent toe. Many forty-something folks make a vane attempt to stave off the aging of their feet, investing hun dreds of dollars annually in pedicures, toe rings, polish and exfoliating marvels such as The Pedi Egg, which doubles as a nifty parmesan cheese grater. Unfortunately, nature has dictated that our feet get kinda ugly no matter what we do. So during the summer sandal months, please do keep your toot sies clean and trimmed, but don t get too carried away. After all, what s the sense in putting lipstick on your Piggies? Probably not a good idea. But, we should real ize that all military moves are a gamble, and the only thing we can be certain of is that the damned micro wave cart will live to see another day. Get more wit from Lisa at her blog, The Meat and Potatoes of Life, www. themeatandpotatoesoflife. comSee SLO, Page 6

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4 THE MIRROR, NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 Mayport Families Have A BlastBy StaffNaval Station Mayport celebrat ed Independence Day early at the 2013 Freedom Fest on June 29 at Sea Gull Pavilion The Greater Mayport Chief Petty Officer Association sponsored this years event with MWR and hosted an afternoon and evening of food, fun and fire works. Rides, games and water and dry slides were available to keep the family entertained while a beach obstacle course and races were set up in the Sandbox outside of Surfside Fitness. Sponsors set up booths around the fes tivities for the adults while the kids enjoyed dancing to a DJ. Several families set up their seating on the beach to enjoy the weather and watch fireworks from a premium location. The band, Second Tyme Around, played for an hour before ush ering in the pyrotech nics at 9 p.m. -Photo by Paige GnannJoey Bishop, 9, tries to make it to the top of the climbing wall at Freedom Fest.-Photo by Paige GnannThe Warner family shows off their patriotic spirit as they settle down to listen to the band, Second Tyme Around, before the fireworks show at the 2013 Freedom Festival. -Photo by Paige GnannAS1(AW/SW) Johnny Opdenbosch and MR1 Frank Hotmer of FRCSE Det Mayport serve up some hamburgers and hotdogs to raise money for the detachments MWR fund.-Photo by Paige GnannChildren dance to the music of Second Tyme Around before the fireworks show.-Photo by Paige GnannMardi Hinz, 10, and his sister, Iman, 13, dance to a DJ while enjoying the festivities at Freedom Fest.-Photo by Paige GnannKids enjoy a game of volleyball at the Sea Gull Pavilion during Freedom Fest.

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THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 5 -Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusA young girl holds her nose as she slides down one of the water slides at the 2013 Freedom Fest.-Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusLines were long to get a turn on the bounce swing set up at this years Freedom Fest. The ride was one of the most popular with the kids. -Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusA clown paints a young boys face as a tiger as part of the activities set up at this years Freedom Fest. -Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusA worker gathers up a serving of cotton candy for a young girl. There were several carnival treats available at this years event, as well as traditional grill foods supporting base service groups and command MWR funds.-Photo by MC2 Stanley MarcusKids shoot it out at the Basketball hoops, one of several games set up at this years festival. -Photo by Paige GnannLance Boldman, 12, heads across the monkey bars in front of Surfside Fitness.

Everyone plays a key role in any operation and I was honored to be able to contribute my service in this one. It was a highlight to have the award presented by a flag offi cer, said Klingaman. The Bronze Star Medal is the tenth highest U.S. military award in order of precedence. To merit the award, the acts or services must be performed in a manner significant ly above that normally expected, and sufficient to distinguish the individual above those performing similar acts or services. From Page 1BronzeCommissaries Plan for Monday FurloughsDefense Commissary AgencyWith furlough imple mentation underway, NS Mayports commissary will close one day a week on Mondays. The closures will be for up to 11 days between July 8 and Sept. 30. Closing commissaries on Mondays would be in addition to any day stores are routinely closed. The 148 stores that routinely close on Mondays would also close the next normal day of operation. Other than the furlough day, there are no other changes planned for store operation hours. The announcement comes as DeCA follows Department of Defense protocols related to the automatic federal government budget reductions, known as sequestration, which began March 1. Like most DOD activi ties, DeCA is mandated by DOD to furlough its civil service employees. Furlough notices are scheduled to be deliv ered to DeCA employees between May 28 and June 5. DeCA has 247 com missaries with more than 16,000 employees operating in 13 coun tries and two U.S. ter ritories. Furloughs will impact all of DeCAs more than 14,000 U.S. civilian employees. As sequestration con tinues, commissary cus tomers can quickly find out about any changes to their local stores oper ating schedule by going to www.commissar ies.com, clicking on the Locations tab, then Alphabetical Listing, finding their store and clicking on local store information. Patrons are reminded that because sequestra tion is so fluid, DeCAs plan for this budget-cut ting measure is subject to change. DeCA decided on Monday closures after weighing the potential disruption to patrons and suppliers of having rolling furloughs, where closure dates would differ from store to store. Universal Monday closures are less disruptive to shoppers and the agencys indus try partners -vendors, suppliers and distributors -who deliver products daily to commissaries. In January, DOD released guidance to allow defense compo nents to plan for potential budget cuts by reducing operating costs. In line with that direction, DeCA later executed the follow ing budget-cutting mea sures: A hiring freeze on all outside hires; Cancellation of the agencys September Worldwide Case Lot Sales for all commissaries. Postponement of all Guard and Reserve onsite sales scheduled after July 8 until further notice. THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 7

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Navy WWII POW Visits 4th Fleet Sailors4th Fleet Public AffairsChief Boatswain Mate (Ret.) Bill Ingram, a World War II veteran and former Prisoner of War (POW) visited and talked with Sailors from U.S. 4th Fleet June 21. Ingram enlisted in the Navy in June of 1941 at the age of 17. After com pleting boot camp, he was assigned to heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-3). Ingram requested the Houston because his older brother was a Signal Man 2nd Class on board, but after arriving to the ship, Bill found out his brother had already transferred to the Philippines. Shortly after Ingram arrived to the ship, Houston was operat ing in the Pacific Ocean and engaged in several battles with the Japanese Imperial Navy. On February 28th 1942 the Battle of Sundra Strait began. A Japanese amphibious task force was preparing to invade Java, in the Dutch East Indies and a task force of American, Dutch, and Australian ships, includ ing Houston were sent to intercept the Japanese force. In the early morn ing hours on March 1st, Houston was struck by three Japanese torpedoes, rolled over, with her Ensign still flying and sank. Of the 1,061 Sailors and Marines aboard the ship, 693 were lost. Three hundred sixty eight sail ors, including Ingram, abandoned the ship into the Pacific Ocean. I was laying there with a mattress over me, with all kinds of things falling on top of me. A Boatswain Mate First Class came running over saying We have to get off the ship! Ingram explained. I didnt have a life jacket, so he gave me a life ring and right before I jumped in the water he told me to swim as fast as I could away from the ship. The undertow from the ship sinking will bring you down, so I got in the water and swam as fast as I could, he said. Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, Ingrams family was poor, despite not being able to afford swimming les sons, a gym teacher from the school he attended offered him free swim ming lessons, training that very well may have saved his life that night. Despite escaping from Houston, Ingram was still far from escaping danger. After spend ing close to a day in the water, a Japanese patrol boat picked him up. After being interrogated for information and realizing that he did not know anything, Ingram was thrown back into the ocean. Once again Ingram found himself in the water, desperate. He spent another day in the water before being picked up by a civilian fishing ves sel, which eventually took him and others from the Houston to Java. Not sure where to go, the group saw a building with a Red Cross flag on it and went there. They received food and medical attention and clothing, but during the night, a group of Japanese soldiers came, and took Ingram and his shipmates as prisoners of war. He left Java by ship to Burma, where for the next three years he and his fellow POWs spent building the Tai-Burma railroad. The Tai-Burma railroad, also known as the Death Railway was a 258 mile railway that connected Bangkok, Thailand to Burma. The railway was built by forced laborers, including over 60,000 Allied personnel. More than 16,000 of those per sonnel died as a result of the intense labor and lack of adequate food, water, and medical attention. It was very hard; I rate my survival to the way I made it through my up brining. We were poor, we did not have three meals a day, and when we did eat, beans and homemade bread was about all we had, I was use to not having much, Ingram said. Ingram was still work ing on the railroad when World War II in the Pacific was declared over, but a few weeks prior had come down with dysentery and malaria, and remembers little about leaving Burma and returning to the United States. I was really out of it; I remember being in the camp, then the next thing I really remem ber, is being in New York City with some of the other guys from the pris on camp. They told me we had left the camp in Burma, and flew back to the U.S. So I am sitting there in this bar, and the bartender starts talking to me, and I tell him I dont know how I got there and that I want to go home. I told him I was from Springfield, so he helped me get on a bus go home. Shortly after Ingram was captured, he was able to send a post card home to his parents, informing them that he was a POW but was still alive. He hadnt been able to send any correspondence in over a year, so when he arrived home, his parents had no idea what had happened to him. My parents had moved after I left and I did not know that, so when I arrived home they were gone. So eventually I found the mailman, and found their new address. I thought it would be nice to surprise them, but when I knocked on the door my mom answered and she almost had a heart attack, he recount ed. Soon after arriving home, Ingram found out for the first time that his brother that had been on Houston had been a POW as well. His brother transferred from Houston to the Philippines, where eventually he was captured on island of Corregidor. Even after the gruel ing ordeal of being a POW, Ingram decided to remain in the Navy and was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He remained in the Navy until he retired in 1961. After he retired from the Navy, Ingram moved to Jacksonville, Fla. where he lives today. One of the Chief Petty Officers jobs is to pass along Navy history and tradition to the sailors who are going to relieve us one day, Chiefs like Bill Ingram taking the time to come to our command and speak to our Sailors is a great example of passing along that tradition. Said U.S. 4th Fleet Command Master Chief David Tellez. Bill Ingram is one of only 12 survivors from USS Houston according to the National World War II Museum. -Photo by MC1 Sean AllenRear Adm. Sinclair Harris, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/ Commander U.S. 4th Fleet presents Chief Boatswain Mate (Ret.) Bill Ingram with a command coin. Ingram, a World War II Veteran and former Prisoner of War came to 4th Fleet to talk to Sailors about his experience. THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 9

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mize care delivery as well as our patients who face delays in access to nonemergency, non-urgent care and increased refer rals out to the TRICARE network. While our priority to heal our nations heroes remains unchanged and our team of civilian, mili tary and contractor staff at our hospital and branch health clinics will con tinue to work diligently to provide outstanding care to our patients, the impact of sequestration and work lost due to civilian furloughs will be felt. We ask for understanding during this difficult time that were all in together, Shaffer expressed. For all non-emer gency needs patients should continue to the Appointment Line: Bay or BHC Mayport: Call (904) 542-4677 or (800) 529-4677, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Patients with a referral from their PCM to a specialty clinic at the hospital, call weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. BHC Albany: Call (229) 639-7884/7886, weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. BHC Jacksonville: Call (904) 546-7094/7095, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. BHC Key West: Call (305) 2934834/4850/4851, week days from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For all locations, afterhours nurse advice remains available on evenings, weekends and holidays via its command Appointment Line at (800) 529-4677. Naval Branch Health Clinic (NBHC) Mayport is one of Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonvilles six health care facilities located across Florida and Georgia. Of NH Jacksonvilles patient populationabout 163,000 active and retired sail ors, soldiers, Marines, airmen, guardsmen and their familiesmore than 57,000 are enrolled with a primary care manag er at one of its facilities. To find out more about NBHC Mayport, visit the command website at www.med.navy.mil/sites/ NavalHospitalJax.From Page 1ClinicHu City Officer Shares Legacy of Service USS Hu City Public AffairsThe warrior spirit is a trait the Navy tries to instill in its Sailors from the day they join the ser vice. For one USS Hu City Officer inculcation with the warrior spirit came easy. With a fam ily legacy of service to the Nation, she was born into it. Ensign Devan Gurecki joined the Golden Dragon crew of USS Hu City shortly after graduating from Officer Candidate School in October 2011. On board Hu City, she quickly qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer, a challenging and notewor thy milestone. A prod uct of a family who has dedicated years to service, Gurecki has learned the true meaning of commit ment and dedication from her familys rich, military history. Both of Ensign Gureckis grandfathers served in the military in hopes of giving back to their country in some small way. Her mater nal grandfather, Kenneth Myron VanPatten, was denied enlistment from the Navy due to a shotgun injury that he received when he was 16. The Army, however, wel comed him with open arms in March of 1946. After completing airborne training, he was sent to Sendai, Japan and was assigned to the mainte nance division where he packed and maintained parachutes. Serving during the time of the Occupational Forces, he is considered a World War II veteran. He left the Army in 1947 and was award ed the Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal and the Occupational and Good Conduct Medal for his service. Her other grandfa ther, Virgil Pete Gurecki joined the Navy in 1942 and served until 1945. A Gunners Mate (E-5), he served on four different ships throughout his time in the Navy. He was part of the North Africa inva sion, the Sicily Invasion, and D-Day landings on Omaha beach to name a few. He was an eyewit ness to many attacks on US ships and unfortu nately, lost numerous friends during the war. He earned the Pacific Campaign medal and Good Conduct Medal. Ensign Gureckis grow ing appreciation for ser vice did not stop with her grandfathers. Growing up, she remembers lis tening to her fathers sto ries about the city of Hu and his experiences as a Marine in the heat of battle. And it seems as if his past would play a role in her future as she made the decision to become a part of the US Navy. Originally scheduled to be a part of the wardroom on the USS Philippine Sea, Ensign Gurecki was reas signed to the USS Hu City a week before she graduated from OCS. She knew the change in her orders would immediately impact her father and she was right. Upon telling her father that she would be reporting to Hu City instead of the Philippine Sea he stated he knew it was meant to be and later added he didnt believe in coincidences. Ensign Gureckis father, Mike Gurecki, joined the Marines after high school and became a mem ber of 1st battalion 5th marines with a military occupational specialty in heavy machine guns. His decision to enlist in the Marines as a young man forever changed his life and the lives of those around him. He was immediately sent to Vietnam upon finishing school, resulting in life experiences that would mold him into the man he would become. Dropped in the middle of one of the most physically and emotionally demanding battles he was in for an experience of his life. Mr. Gurecki often reflects on his time as a Marine stating, the older I get the more I wonder how I made it out of their alive. As a Marine during one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War, Mr. Gurecki can provide many insights to better under standing the sacrifices made by the Americans and Vietnamese who fought and died there. The city of Hu is located in central Vietnam and was the location of one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War. Fewer than 2,500 men attacked and achieved victory over 10,000 enemy troops, liberating Hu from South Vietnam. The Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese launched an assault on South Vietnam, a battle lasting four weeks. Naval ship fire support played a large role in the success and recapture of Hu. Mr. Gurecki remem bers gear that wouldnt always work, but NSFS was one of those things that just always worked. It inspired a degree of confidence in the Marines on the ground to continue the fight each day. During the battle, Mr. Gurecki was typically assigned as the guy who drove the mule with mounted .50 caliber guns on it. The mule was basically a four foot wide aluminum plat form with .50 cals set on a tripod on the platform and sandbags thrown on to secure it. He would walk or crawl behind it and steer it down the narrow streets of the French built city of Hu. Like many things in the Navy it was not used as designed and was instead a weap on conjured up to help defend themselves in the small fire fights they encountered. Through determination and an unmatched drive the Marines at Hu achieved victory even against the odds stacked against them. Unique in that it is the only ship in the fleet named for a Vietnam battle, Hu City bears its name proudly, recog nizing all the Sailors and Marines who valiantly gave their lives fighting in Vietnam in January of 1968. For most of these men their parents are long gone, their brothers and sisters who mourned their loss have long since moved on with their lives, and for friends of their youth, they are distant fading memories, states Mike Gurecki. He con tinues, Hu City is the last place on Earth where their memory lives on. Hu City is named for the men who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy. Hu City and its crew do its best to keep their memory alive with regular memorials held onboard for its veterans. In fact, Hu City expects to orga nize another memo rial relatively soon. The Memorial Ceremony celebrates the victory US Marines helped deliv er in driving the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong from the city of Hu during the 1968 Tet Offensive. The US Navy has undergone many changes throughout the years, but is members have stayed true to the course of ser vice and dedication to the people of this fine nation. The fighting spirit of those Marines and Sailors who fought in the Battle of Hu is alive and strong in Hu Citys crew today. As a part of the Hu City crew, Ensign Gurecki is reminded of the rich his tory that is her past and the dedication and devo tion to a country that has done so much for its people that is a part of her future. It is not just a means to an end; it is keeping a long lineage of service intact. For those whose families grew up in the service there will always be a deeper meaning and a greater sense of pride when putting on the uniform and with Ensign Gurecki it is no different. Hu City sails onward, forever remembering the example those Sailors and Marines set in January of 1968. Hu City is sail ing alongside Dwight D. Eisenhower on their transit home after their second deployment to the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime secu rity operations and the ater security cooperation efforts. 10 THE MIRROR, NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013

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USS Hu City Takes Tigers On CruiseUSS Hu City Public AffairsGuided-missile cruiser USS Hu City (CG 66) began its end-of-deploy ment tiger cruise after arriving in Norfolk, Va. on July 1. A tiger cruise allows a Sailors friends and loved ones to go to sea and experience a day in the life of a U.S. Navy Sailor. Arriving at Naval Station Norfolk before transit ing to her homeport of Mayport, Hu City wel comed 85 guests, all eager to be reunited with their Sailor. Family and friends learn to appreciate what their Sailor does in their day-to-day routine and how it contributes to the greater mission of the Navy, said Senior Chief Operations Specialist Timothy Mollock, one of the coordinators of the tiger cruise. Upon arrival to Hu City, each tiger received a Surface Warfare Specialist personnel qualification standard to work on while underway, and a schedule of events for the two-day cruise. It took a lot of planning for the event to become a reality. After canvassing the crew and determining that they would enjoy inviting a tiger, we quickly began working on getting permission from the Navy to have a tiger cruise, said Mollock. We also organized travel arrangements for all the tigers, includ ing a chartered bus from Mayport to Norfolk and providing transportation for tigers arriving by air plane and personal vehi cles. Activities over the next two days will include an air power demo with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), a frocking cer emony for newly selected senior chief petty officers, a steel-beach picnic on the ships flight deck, and two ice cream socials. Im excited for my dad to be here with me, said Fire Controlman 2nd Class John Dempsey. He used to be in the Navy and I would like to show him how much things have changed since he was in. Itll also give us a chance to bond and catch up after being away for so long. Hu City is transiting to her homeport of Mayport after operating in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime secu rity operations and the ater security cooperation efforts. -Photo by MC2 Matthew R. ColeCapt. Daniel B. Uhls, commanding officer of the guid ed-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66), greets family and friends of the crew on the mess decks during a Tiger Cruise.Hue City is transiting to her homeport of Mayport, Fla., after operating in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime security operations and theater security coop eration efforts. THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 11

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NS Mayport Reports On 2012 Water QualityFrom PWD MayportThe Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast, Public Works Department, NS Mayport, Florida (PWD Mayport), is your water utility ser vice provider. We are very pleased to pro vide you with this years Annual Water Quality Report. We want to keep you informed about the excellent water and ser vices we have delivered to you over the past year. Our goal is and has always been, to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. Our water source is three deep wells which draw from the Floridan Aquifer. Treatment of your water supply includes aeration for odor control, and dis infection through chlo rination. In 2012, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) performed a Source Water Assessment on our system. This assessment was conduct ed to provide informa tion about any potential sources of contamination in the vicinity of our wells. There are nine potential sources of contamination identified for this sys tem with low to moder ate susceptibility levels. The assessment results are available on the FDEP Source Water Assessment and Protection Program website at www.dep. state.fl.us/swapp. NAVFAC Southeast, PWD Mayport, rou tinely monitors for con taminants in your drink ing water according to Federal and State laws and regulations. Except where indicated other wise, this report is based on the results of our monitoring for the period January 1st to December 31st 2012. Data obtained before January 1, 2012, and presented in this report, are from the most recent testing done in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations. In the table below you may find unfamiliar terms and abbreviations. To help you better under stand these terms we have provided the following definitions: Action Level (AL) the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treat ment or other require ments which a water system must follow. Maximum Contaminant Level The Maximum Allowed (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal The Goal (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. Maximum Residual Disinfection Level (MRDL) The high est level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is a convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) The level of a drinking water disinfec tant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. Not Applicable (N/A) No value limit or restriction has been applied to this particular parameter. Non-Detects (ND) indicates that the sub stance was not found by laboratory analysis. Parts per billion (ppb) one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000. Parts per million (ppm) one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000. Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water. The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water trav els over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. (B) Inorganic con taminants such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater dis charges, oil and gas pro duction, mining, or farm ing. (C) Pesticides and herbicides which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses. (D) Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of indus trial processes and petro leum production, and can also come from gas sta tions, urban stormwater runoff, and septic sys tems. (E ) Radioactive con taminants which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young chil dren. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and compo nents associated with service lines and home plumbing. NAVFAC Southeast, PWD Mayport, is responsible for provid ing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for sev eral hours, you can mini mize the potential for lead exposure by flush ing your tap for 30 sec onds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water test ed. Information on lead in drinking water, test ing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www. epa.gov/safewater/lead. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regula tions which limit the amount of certain con taminants in water pro vided by public water systems. FDA regula tions establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indi cate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contami nants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agencys Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improve ments that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements are some times reflected as rate structure adjustments. Thank you for under standing. For further information or questions concerning this report, please con tact your PWD Mayport Utilities Branch, at (904) 270-3182. Additionally, Navy personnel who live off-base, or in private residences, can also contact PWD Mayport for general questions on water qual ity, or to determine who to contact for information on the water utility servicin g your area. Some people may be more vulnerable to con taminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing che motherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disor ders, some elderly, and infants can be particular ly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infec tion by cryptosporidium and other microbio logical contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). TEST RESULTS TABLE NAVSTA MAYPORTInorganic Contaminants MCLG 0.061 N/A MCLG or MRDLG MCL or MRDL Lead and Copper (Tap Water) Likely Source of Contamination 12 THE MIRROR, NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013

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THE MIRROR NS MAYPORT, Thursday, July 11, 2013 13 FFSC Classes Give Tools To Help SailorsFrom FFSCThe following class es and activities are offered by the Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) and are free of charge. Pre-registration is required and childcare is not available. For more information about the classes or to register call 270-6600, ext. 1701. FFSC is located in Building One on Massey. July 11, 10-11 a.m., Healthy You, Healthy Family FFSC Building 1, Room 607 July 15-19, 7:30 a.m.4 p.m., Command Financial Specialist Training, FFSC Building 1, Room 1616 July 16, 9-11 a.m., Active Parenting Ages 13-19 FFSC Building 1, Room 607 The program is based on Dr. Michael Popkin, PH.D ACTIVE PARENTING NOW 6 classes. This program is designed to assist you and your family put into practice the skills learned in the class. Specific parenting skills that are dis cussed as well as some of the challenges that are faced by all families include understanding yourself and your child, the four goals of misbe havior, building courage and character in your child, andencourag ing and listening to your child. Each week a differ ent topic is thoroughly covered via discussion, video vignettes, and handbook information. Participation in all 6 sessions is required. July 17, 9 a.m.-noon, Resume Writing Workshop Building 1 Room 719 This workshop is for those who are develop ing a rough resume and for those who are close to the perfecting theirs. We will work in a small group format to review and provide input on participants resumes. This unique learning method helps participants real ize that we can all be experts and that we can get great input from our peers. FFSC Staff will participate and provide input on individual resumes. A completed rough resume will be required. July 22, 10 a.m.-noon, Active Parenting Ages 5-12 FFSC Building 1, Room 607 The program is based on Dr. Michael Popkin, PH.D ACTIVE PARENTING NOW 6 classes. This program is designed to assist you and your family put into practice the skills learned in the class. Specific parenting skills that are dis cussed as well as some of the challenges that are faced by all families include understanding yourself and your child, the four goals of misbe havior, building courage and character in your child, andencourag ing and listening to your child. Each week a differ ent topic is thoroughly covered via discussion, video vignettes, and handbook information. Participation in all 6 sessions is required. July 22-26, 7:30 a.m.4:30 p.m., Transition GPS Separatee Workshop FFSC Building 1, Room 1616 July 23, 9-11 a.m., Active Parenting Ages 13-19 FFSC Building 1, Room 607 The program is based on Dr. Michael Popkin, PH.D ACTIVE PARENTING NOW 6 classes. This program is designed to assist you and your family put into practice the skills learned in the class. Specific parenting skills that are dis cussed as well as some of the challenges that are faced by all families include understanding yourself and your child, the four goals of misbe havior, building courage and character in your child, andencourag ing and listening to your child. Each week a differ ent topic is thoroughly covered via discussion, video vignettes, and handbook information. Participation in all 6 sessions is required. July 24, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Home Buying, FFSC Building 1, Room 702 July 24, 9 a.m.-noon, Resume Writing Workshop Building 1 Room 719 This workshop is for those who are developing a rough resume and for those who are close to the perfecting theirs. We will work in a small group format to review and provide input on participants resumes. This unique learning method helps participants realize that we can all be experts and that we can get great input from our peers. FFSC Staff will participate and provide input on individ ual resumes. July 25, 8 a.m.-noon, FAP Key Personnel Training Building 1, Room 1124 July 29, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Anger Management Workshop, FFSC Building 1, Room 702 What does anger do for you? Communicate for you? Keep people at a safe distance from you? Keep you in charge? For many people, anger serves them many uses, but all too often, it is at a high costusually of relationships, unhappiness in the workplace, and a general feeling of dis dain. If you want to be able to break out of the get angry/get even syn drome, come to this class. Participants learn how anger and judgment are related, about irrational beliefs and faulty self-talk, and the roles of stress and forgiveness in anger.Friday, July 12 The Ladies Auxillary Unit#290 will hold a ham dinner from 5-8 p.m. at the branch home, 390 Mayport Road in Atlantic Beach. Donations are $8. Take out orders are welcome. The dinner is open to the public. For more information, call 246-6855. Saturday, July 13 Join a park ranger at 2 p.m. at the Talbot Discovery Table at the end of the boardwalk and learn interesting facts about Talbot Islands State Parks. Test your knowledge to see how much you know! The program will take place at the end of Boardwalk #1 located at the north beach area on Little Talbot Island. No reservations are neces sary and the program is free with regular park admission. July 15-18 Vacation Bible School at Ft Caroline United Methodist Church, 8510 Ft. Caroline Rd., Jacksonville 32277. Free dinner nightly at 6 p.m.; VBS from 6:30 9:10 p.m. Free movie night Up in the Air Friday, July 19. VBS Celebration Service at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 21. Friday, July 19 Tree Hill Nature Center is holding a ribbon cutting and grand opening cere mony for the new Joseph A. Strasser Boardwalk Trail at 10 a.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, and admission will be free for the day. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens continues movie nights in the Gardens this summer featuring clas sic car movies to compli ment the current exhibi tion, Future Retro: The Great Age of the American Automobile at 7:30 p.m.. The series continues with Cars in July, followed by American Graffiti in August. Guests are encouraged to bring a blan ket or lawn chairs. TreeCup Caf will have delicious treats along with beer and wine for purchase, but you are welcome to pack a pic nic. After claiming your spot in the Gardens, venture inside the Museum and view the classic cars on display as part of the current exhibi tion. Members $6 per person and Non-members $10 per person. For more informa tion or to register, please call (904) 899-6038 or visit www. cummer.org/movie-nightcummer.Out in Town COMMUNITYCALENDAR Jack Daniels/USO Toast To The Troops Country music star and Army Veteran Craig Morgan will be performing a FREE concert brought to you by Jack Daniels and the USO at the Jacksonville Landing on Thursday, July 11 at 7 p.m. This is a free event and no tickets are required. For more information, please call (904) 353-1188. And if youre looking for a chance to give back to the troops, join Jack Daniels and the USO in a care package stuffing event before the concert. To volunteer for the care package event, please email lquinn@usojax.com. Military Vendor Charity Event Come out to Fleet Reserve #91 on Collins Road on July 13 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and see what the vendors have to offer. Each vendor has donated baskets of items to be raffled off. Money raised from the raffles will support the Greater Jacksonville Area USO. There will be facing painting and a cupcake stand, so bring the kids and enjoy a day at FRA #91. $15 Jaguars Tickets Sale Dates Your Greater Jacksonville USO will once again be selling tickets to the Jacksonville Jaguars home games. Tickets will be $15 each. Keep an eye on the blast in the coming weeks for the ticket sale dates. Military Appreciation Night At The Jax Zoo Military Appreciation Night at the Jacksonville Zoo has been rescheduled to July 26from 6-9 p.m. If you missed your chance to get wristbands, the NAS JAX and MAYPORT USO centers and the Kings Bay ITT office will have some additional wristbands available for purchase. Wristbands are $2.50 each/ cash only and are open to Active Duty, Retirees, Reservists, National Guard, dependents, Veterans with ID card, and DOD civilians. Jacksonville Suns 2013 Baseball Season Once again, the Jacksonville Suns AA Baseball Organization (Florida Marlins Affiliate) has teamed with your Greater Jacksonville Area USO for the 2013 season. July 30th, August and September dates are still available. Military Spouse Vendor Show Come out to the Mayport USO on Aug. 3 and check out a variety of vendors and support your local military spouses and their small businesses. There will be $1 raffles drawn every half hour and food available for purchase from the USO. Check out all the fabulous items avail able. For more information, contact milwivesbusinessesandevents@gmail.com. Military Spouse COMPASS Program COMPASS is a spouse-to-spouse mentoring program that introduces partici pants to all aspects of the military life style. COMPASS offers military spouses the opportunity to establish a peer net work, acquire knowledge and develop skills necessary to successfully meet future challenges of military life. Please come join us! Well be sure to make you smile, help you meet other spous es, provide you with YUMMY Dinners, and even reimburse you for babysitting fees** (please inquire with a Compass Mentor for more info). Registration IS REQUIRED! Please visit www.gocom pass.org to find a Session near you. Deweys Spring Concert Series Friday Nights At NAS Jacksonville Enjoy freelive music every Friday night at 7 p.m. at the outside stage at Deweys. Bring your own blankets and chairs and enjoy a night out with the family. No outside food or drinks allowed. For more information, call (904) 542-3900. Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen Free At The USO Protect your skin this summer. Stop by the NAS Jax and Mayport USO centers for your free bag of Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen and after sun products. Supporting Americas Heroes The American Red Cross is expand ing services to provide assistance and resources to veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to help support their transi tion into civilian life. Emergency needs that may warrant assistance may include medical and dental needs, rent assis tance, utility payments, and food; access to referral services; or other assistance depending on need. Applicants for these funds must demonstrate financial hardship, and/or lack of other available resources due to participation in OEF or OIF. Eligible veterans include those of all services, the Reserve component and National Guard. For more information, please contact a Red Cross Military Services caseworker at (904) 246-1395 Recycling Recycling has come to the Greater Jacksonville Area USO. If you have any office paper, shredded paper, old maga zines, and newspapers that you would like to donate, please bring it to either the Mayport or NAS JAX USO Center. This will be a great fundraiser for the USO so please help us fill the bins. Help support the troops with your unwanted paper! United Through Reading program makes it possible to share in the enjoy ment of reading to the children in your life, even while thousands of miles apart. The Mayport Center and NAS Center can record you reading a book to your children and send it to them after you have gone on deployment. It is a great way to make them smile on their special day even when you can not be there with them. Please contact your local USO center for more information. There is a computer resource center available to all service members with email, Internet and word processing. Fax, copy and free notary service is also available. Watch TV or a movie from the video library. Service members can also enjoy video games or use the sports equip ment. There is a full kitchen, showers, a quiet reading room and a meeting room available at the USO. The USO is avail able for meetings, support groups, receptions, parties and pre-deployment briefs. A TV, VCR and overhead projector are available for use. For more information about activities or meeting availabilities, call 246-3481 or stop by the center at 2560 Mayport Road. USO